Registration for the 2015 “One Team” Conference is open!

Keynote Speaker Announced!

CACGA is excited to announce its keynote speaker for its 9th Annual “One Team” Conference: An MDT Response to Child Abuse & Neglect, in Macon, Georgia, on Wednesday, November 4, 2015.

Kevin Mulcahy is a survivor of child sexual abuse. He works as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Detroit Michigan and serves as Chief of the General Crimes Unit. As Chief, he oversees the Project Safe Childhood program, as well as supervising gun, drug, and other federal prosecutions. For his own caseload, Kevin focuses on child exploitation crimes, including production of child pornography cases, traveler cases, and other significant PSC prosecutions.

Kevin has been a prosecutor for 13 1/2 years, all on the federal level, with the first 3 1/2 years as an AUSA in San Diego, and the rest in Detroit. Kevin obtained his undergraduate degree in Statistics and American Culture from the University of Michigan and his JD from Santa Clara School of Law. He has 3 kids, 2 cats, 1 dog, and a very nice wife.

The Keynote presentation will recount Kevin’s own story of sexual exploitation at the hands of his soccer coach, Randy. But, it will not be merely a retelling of the past. Instead, the presentation will address lessons learned from his case by combining Kevin’s experience both as a victim and a long-time prosecutor of child exploitation cases. Knowing what he knows now, Kevin believe there are lessons to be learned from his story for the investigator (Kevin’s was great), the prosecutor (Kevin’s was terrible), and the forensic interviewer (Kevin did not have one). Beyond these (hopefully) useful lessons, the presentation will provide plenty of time for questions from attendees. Given the nature of our work, we don’t often get to ask questions (beyond factual questions) of our child victims.

Focusing On Our CACs

CACGA: What is the Stepping Stone?Brooke Woods: Stepping Stone Child Advocacy Center is a non-profit organization located in Dublin, Georgia which serves victims of sexual, physical, or emotional abuse, as well as those children who witness domestic violence. The mission of Stepping Stone is to lessen the trauma suffered by children who have been abused by providing evaluation in a safe, caring place and to encourage collaboration of services for the benefit of the child, family, and community. Stepping Stone currently serves the children and families of the Dublin Judicial Circuit by providing them with free prevention, intervention, and education related to child abuse.

CACGA: What would you like the community to know about the professionals who work there?Brooke Woods: Employees of Stepping Stone have a passion for the health and well-being of all children. You will often hear our staff and volunteers say, “All children matter.” Our vison is to one day live in a community where children flourish free from child abuse and neglect.
As the Executive Director and Forensic Interviewer at Stepping Stone, I have direct contact with all of the families that come to our center. It is my hope that each child and family member that leaves Stepping Stone will feel like they have an advocate who will walk with them through the traumatic experience of abuse. I earned my bachelor degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Science Education. Although I worked in the teaching field for many years, I felt a calling to get involved with child advocacy work after serving on a jury that convicted a serial child molester. At the center my responsibilities include: conducting forensic interviews, providing victim advocacy, testifying in court, writing grant proposals, providing community prevention and awareness, assisting during sexual assault exams, coordinating and facilitating the multi-disciplinary team, fund raising, and other random duties. [Read More…]

CACGA is supported in part by the Georgia Department of Human Services — Division of Family and Children Services through funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (CFDA 93.558).